There is only one team in the NFL that is going to enter Week 4 with a record of 0-3; the Las Vegas Raiders. There was a lot of optimism surrounding the franchise this offseason given the moves that they made, but nothing has gone according to plan yet.
The team has dug themselves into holes against the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans that were too deep to climb out in come-from-behind attempts. Sandwiched between those games was a huge blown lead against the Arizona Cardinals in which the Raiders were leading 23-7 in the fourth quarter before ultimately losing in overtime.
Coming into the campaign with at least playoff aspirations, Las Vegas has fallen woefully short of expectations thus far. That has led to some speculation that head coach Josh McDaniels, after only three games, is on the hot seat with the organization.
That loss pushed Mcdaniels’ record to 1-10 in his last 11 games as a head coach, dating back to his time leading the Denver Broncos. According to NFL Rumors on Twitter, McDaniels had a closed-door meeting with ownership following the team’s loss to the Titans in Week 3. They ended up losing 24-22 but trailed by 14 heading into halftime.
McDaniels was excellent with the New England Patriots as offensive coordinator, but he struggled during his tenure with the Broncos. After going 8-8 in his first season, he was fired following a 3-9 start the following season and those losing ways have followed him to Las Vegas.
One of the most head-scratching decisions made with him at the helm was selecting Tim Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He didn’t have a first-round pick to waste this year with the Raiders as it was traded to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Davante Adams.
Las Vegas is facing a must-win game against the Denver Broncos in Week 4. Going against another head coach facing plenty of scrutinies himself in Nathaniel Hackett, this is as good a chance as any for the Raiders to turn things around. The biggest difference between their tenures, however, is that Denver is 2-1 heading into that matchup while Las Vegas is 0-3.
